Lover of God, nature, wildlife, birds, gardening, photography, travel, simple living, health, pets and seeking a peaceful, healing lifestyle. Life has many hurts and sorrows but within "the [divine] nature in us" we CAN overcome.

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Sunday, October 9, 2011

Caring For Creation or Presenting the Gospel

Evangelical Christians often resist the efforts of environmental activists to move them toward more effective and responsible behavior regarding the environmental health of the natural world-what we call “the creation.”

We do this in part because of our perception that most vocal environmental activists are either New Agers, amoral celebrities, or secular humanists. We typically think of these individuals as nature worshippers who believe everything is God, sentimental animal lovers who see no fundamental difference between people and their pets, or atheists whose only god is naturalistic evolution.

Evangelicals are reluctant to become fellow travelers with those who appear to have such unbiblical views about the nature of the earth - even if there is no biblical reason for us to oppose the responsibility of caring for the creation. We hesitate to work shoulder to shoulder with individuals whose connections and motivations are non-Christian - often for fear that our churches, friends, and families will think we’ve been duped by eco-pagans, eco-socialists, pop idols, or godless scientists.

Further, we have been trained to believe that our primary responsibility is to share the gospel with them - to tell them the good news about Jesus, not share a stream-bank clean-up with them. We ask, “Isn’t evangelism more important than caring for the creation?” And to that we typically answer, “of course.” Read the entire article.

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All photos remain the property of Donna L. Watkins, but may be used with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNature InUs.com. Articles written by Donna L. Watkins can be reprinted with proper credit and link back to the website, TheNatureInUs.com.

Quotes

God Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures. -- Francis Bacon

"I've spent too long waiting for what's been taken from me, rather than enjoying what's been given to me." Unknown

“In God’s wilderness lies the hope of the world – the great fresh, unblighted, unredeemed wilderness. The galling harness of civilization drops off, and the wounds heal ere we are aware.” -- John Muir

"Faith is the bird that senses the light and sings while dawn is still dark." -- Rabindranath Tagore

"To know something about trees--about even one tree--is to know something profound about the nature of the world and our place in it." -- Gerald Jonas"I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out that there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is." -- Albert CamusLike winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher "standard of living" is worth its cost in things natural, wild and free. For us the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech. -- Aldo Leopold (1886-1948)

"It is clear that there is one main message creation has to communicate to human beings, namely, the glory of God. Not primarily the glory of creation, but the glory of God. The glory of creation and the glory of God are as different as the love poem and the love, the painting and the landscape, the ring and the marriage. It would be a great folly and a great tragedy if a man loved his wedding band more than he loved his bride." -- John Piper

"We will do better in all aspects of life if we learn to "let go" of all we hold so tightly to and realize that control is a myth and striving for it is insanity." -- Donna L. Watkins